The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday that Bulkmatic Transport Company, Griffith, Ind., pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from failure to comply with federal hazardous materials transportation laws.
Bulkmatic provides both truck and intermodal transportation of bulk materials.
Specifically, the company failed to train an employee who was seriously injured while unloading hazardous materials at a facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Jan. 3, 2001.
The Bulkmatic employee was seriously injured when a valve fitting on a railroad tank car ruptured spraying him with sulfuric acid. The employee was unloading the product by himself, despite the fact that he had received no training on the handling of hazardous materials and was not wearing personal protection equipment. As a result of the incident, 1,805 gallons of the product were released.
Under the plea agreement, Bulkmatic has agreed to pay a $400,000 fine imposed by the U.S. Department of Justice and abide by the terms of a three-year probationary period. The company also will implement a comprehensive program to fully comply with all hazardous materials laws and regulations. This includes taking specific steps to ensure its employees are properly trained, tested, and certified before they handle hazardous materials.